It’s the last weeks of summer before Lynn’s third year in university. In normal circumstances, Lynn wouldn’t be too excited that the holidays are coming to an end. But after her mother has finally agreed to the girl renting an apartment near her university, rather than living in the cramped disgusting excuse of living habitat that their university called dorms, she couldn’t help feeling giddy.

“Apartments around there are really expensive though.” Soonyoung, Lynn’s best friend, says over the phone as he chews on god knows what. Lynn isn’t about to ask, nor is she going to ask him to stop the awful noise. He never listens anyway.

“I know, that’s why am currently searching for a flatmate. It would be cheaper for me to share a two rooms apartment with someone than get a studio for myself.”

“Since when are you okay with living with another person?” Soonyoung questions in bewilderment. “Especially someone you don’t know.”

“Well if you agreed to live with me we wouldn’t have this problem, now would we?” Lynn whines.

“Look mate, I would love to live with you and you know that. But I am on a budget, cut me some slack.”

“To buy a ing car.” Lynn yells in desperation. “What’s better, a used beat up stupid car or an apartment to your own where you don’t have to suffer from the nastiness of the dorms?”

“Okay, excuse me,” Soonyoung exclaims, obviously offended. “I am not beating myself up for a stupid used car, am going to buy a brand new one. And for your information, my dorm life is great and I have a great dormmate that makes it all the better.”

Lynn sighed. “I hate you and your luck. Anyone would be living a good dorm life if their dormmate is Minghao. He’s so clean and organized I can’t.”

“Lynn, am paying that price though. You can’t imagine how much he sasses me.”

“I can imagine.” Lynn says with a chuckle. And before one of the two can say anything else, Lynn hears her mother calling for her. “Well that’s my cue to leave.” Lynn informs.

“Yeah, well Lynn don’t sweat it too much. I am sure you can find a good flatmate of your own.” Soonyoung assures.

Lynn sighs. “I really hope so. Well anyway talk to you later buddy.”

“Keep me updated.” Soonyoung yells before Lynn hangs up.

 

 

 

 

Lynn goes down to her mother that is sitting in the living room. The woman glances at her daughter over the rim of her glasses before gesturing for her to sit down.

“Any luck with finding a flatmate?” She asks.

Lynn groans, falling back into the couch. “None, even Soonyoung wouldn’t live with me. Why is my luck doing to me?”

“Honey, it’s not like I would let you live with another man.”

Lynn laughs. “You don’t know how happy Soonyoung would be if he hears you calling him a man.”

Mrs. Tuan raises her eyebrow at that. “I don’t know what’s your clarifications for men in your time, but in my books, he’s surely a man.”

 “Well I am joking. It’s just something between us friends to about. I know he’s a man. What I don’t know is, why him being that would make you not want me to share a living place with him?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mrs. Tuan says, looking at Lynn like the girl can’t see the sun when it’s right in front of her eyes. When Lynn doesn’t seem to be catching on it the woman raises her eyebrows in surprise. “You really don’t know?”

“I really don’t.” Lynn confusedly replies.

“Lynn, he’s a boy and you are a girl. Wouldn’t that make living together complicated?”

Lynn snickers, like her mother’s words are the most ridiculous thing she has ever heard in years. “I still don’t see your point. The only complicated thing is that he chews with his mouth open and I might murder him for that.”

Mrs. Tuan sighs. “Look, I know you are very close to Soonyoung and that he’s a good kid. But the idea of a boy and girl living together alone doesn’t settle well with me. I would be more at peace if you live with a girl.”

This makes Lynn burst into laughter. “Mom, how’s that any different?”

“Very different.”

“Can’t see the difference when I am bi.” Lynn says nonchalantly, her tone taking on a humorful tone.

“You are what?” Her mother shrieks, standing up from her place in the couch. Lynn stands up too, suddenly tense and very uncomfortable. “I am biual, mom. I thought you already guessed or something.”

“Biual? As in attracted to both girls and boys?” Lynn can’t tell what her mother is feeling exactly from her expression. If it is shock or anger or disappointment, all she knows is that her expression surely doesn’t look good. And to say that this is not the reaction Lynn anticipated would be an understatement.

Lynn nods, afraid to utter another word. The girl might be playful and childish when talking to her mother most of the time. But in such situations, the girl just cowers into herself, hoping to be buried ten feet underground than being in such a position.

Mrs. Tuan sits down slowly on the couch, holding into her head. Lynn watches her mother, not knowing what to do or say or even think. “I-I don’t know what to say Lynn. This is very confusing to me.”

“But-“ Lynn bites on her tongue, not wanting to bring her sister Jessica into this. And how the latter is gay and currently living with her girlfriend.  Lynn’s mother raises her head, waiting for the girl to finish the sentence making Lynn sigh. “Nothing, you don’t have to say anything mom. Just try to let that fact sink in. I’ll be in my room.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Can you believe her?” Lynn screams in exasperation into her phone.

“Lynn, you foolish girl.” Jessica says.  “Didn’t you know mom wasn’t very supportive when it came to these things?”

“But you are ing gay, and she’s okay with that. Why is it any different for me?”

Jessica rolls her eyes, and Lynn is able to pick on it from the screen of her phone. “Who said she was okay with me being gay? Why do you think I even moved in with Taeyeon if it was the case?”

Lynn shrugged. “Because you wanted to live with your girlfriend?”

“Well that too. But the major reason was me escaping from mom who was on the brink of disowning me. I think you were too young to remember much, or maybe me and mom are that much of good actresses, but we didn’t talk for a very long time. Just here and there did she come around and started talking to me and checking up on me.”

Lynn groans. “Warn a girl next time for god’s sake.”

“How would I know you were ing bi? You should be the one giving us a heads up.”

“I thought it was obvious, okay? Plus no one seems ing straight in this family. Like you actually think Mark, our very pretty brother, is straight?”

“He’s dating a man.”

Lynn scoffs. “Ah, so you know. But that proves my point.”

“Look, I thought you would be mom’s pride and turn out actually straight. And even though you are the straightest out of her children, considering you’re still much attracted to men. You can imagine the shock.”

“It’s not like she knows about Mark.” Lynn mutters.

“Oh, but she knows. Can’t you remember the time Jackson came to visit? I have never seen a couple more obvious.”

Lynn laughs at that. “True.”

“Plus, biuality isn’t something mom is familiar with. So, it’s going to take her a while to get used it.”

“What’s so hard about biuality?”

“I mean at least she knows what gender our partner would be, for you it’s going to be like playing a guessing game.”

“Now isn’t that fun?” Lynn jokes and Jessica glares at her. “Don’t keep this attitude, you don’t want to agitate mom more.”

“Okay, okay. I will be the good girl we all know am not.”

 

 

 

 

Things become awkward between Lynn and her mother for the next days. The girl is glad her father has a work trip, so he won’t be involved in all this mess. Even though she imagines that his reaction might be better than his wife’s.

“I found you a flatmate.” Mrs. Tuan declares as she is having dinner with her daughter, making the latter chokes.

“W-what? You did what?” Lynn shrieks before saying accusingly. “We agreed that I would find a flatmate myself. What happened?”

Mrs. Tuan’s calm demeanor makes Lynn’s blood boil even more if possible. “I just decided to take matters into my own hands. Plus, the flatmate I found you is very clean and organized. He’s also an introvert and timid so you wouldn’t have to socialize with him much if you don’t feel like it.”

“He? HE?” Lynn yells. “What happened about a boy and a girl living together and all that talk, huh? You suddenly don’t feel uncomfortable with that?”

“I feel comfortable with you living with a boy rather than a girl, when you think you’re bi.”

“I am bi.”

“I know it can be confusing to you. Especially with how both your siblings are gay. But you don’t have to follow them. You are attracted to boys, which means you are as straight as can be. I just think you are confused, and think you should follow the trend and be attracted to people from the same gender too.”

Lynn stares at her mother, flabbergasted by all of this. “Mom, I am attracted to girls, you want it or not. You can’t label my uality as confusion.”

“I don’t care what label we are putting on it. All I know is that if you want that apartment then you are going to share it with the boy I chose.”

“Bu-“

“No buts.” Mrs. Tuan says sternly, before standing up and going to her room. Leaving Lynn with a fuming rage and dirty dishes.

 

 

 

 

Summer days suddenly starts being too long for Lynn to handle. She spends most of said days cooped up in her room. Hoping that avoiding her mother as much as possible will magically make things better. She doesn’t talk to Soonyoung or any of her other friends much either, not wanting to tell them what went down between her and her mother, but also too effected by the ordeal to just chat lightly about something else.

So, when the day of Lynn’s moving to her new apartment comes, she feels too excited to be escaping home for her to feel nervous or awkward about meeting the stranger that is going to be living with her for at least a year. She is so distracted by that, that she forgets about her plan to drag Soonyoung, or anyone who is already in the dorms and close by to, with her for mental support.

 Lynn doesn’t expect much from the person that her mother had personally designated for her to share an apartment with. So, when a handsome boy with black hair and a brown sweater that made him seem too cuddly opens the door for her, it’s understandable that Lynn feels bewildered.

“Hi,” she mutters nervously. “I-I am your flatmate.”

“Ah, yeah.” The boy murmurs in a deep voice, and Lynn bites her lip, so her expression doesn’t turn into something she wouldn’t be able to explain. “Lynn Tuan, I suppose. Come on in.”

Lynn follows behind him, entering the apartment and admiring the place that she at least chose herself, and not was forced into something by her mother yet again. The girl is so focused on staring at the grey couch that seemed too comfortable she is tempted to throw herself on it shamelessly, that when the boy says something quietly she doesn’t hear him. “Did you say something?”

“I said my name is Jeon Wonwoo.” He says with a higher voice this time. Yet it still sounds quiet to Lynn’s ears.

“Oh, right. Mom didn’t mention your name. Well nice to meet you.” Lynn smiles at him but Wonwoo doesn’t even spare her a glance.

“I hope it doesn’t bother you, but I already unpacked. Since I moved in a few days ago. The rooms seemed too similar so I believed that you wouldn’t mind. I chose the one with the larger bookshelf, because well I had too many books with me.”

“That’s fine, I don’t have much books myself. So, it wouldn’t be much of a problem.”

Wonwoo nods slowly, walking Lynn to what she supposes is now her room. “Your mother told the moving company workers to just pile up your boxes and stuff in your room, so it’s a bit of a mess right now. I didn’t want to touch or move anything though, since I knew it might be personal or would annoy you.”

Lynn nods in appreciation. Actually not liking when people touched her stuff. She would rather live in a mess than have someone organize her things for her. “Yeah, thanks.”

“Also, the landlord already showed me around the house, and told me where everything would be at like the kitchen utensils. And how the heater functions and stuff like that. And she asked me if I can just pass the message to you, so I guess I can give you a tour later on or you can just ask me about things you want to know about.”

Lynn notices that the way Wonwoo talks is so monotonous. As if he is reading off a paper or reciting a speech he said too many times he didn’t need to think about the words coming out of his mouth anymore. He also doesn’t make eye contact as he explains all of this to the girl even once, and it finally downs on the girl why her mother has chosen him as a fit flatmate for her.

“That sounds great.” Lynn says with a gleeful tone, hoping it would wake up something inside of the boy. It doesn’t.

“Okay.” He mutters. “I’ll leave you to unpack your stuff or rest now.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You don’t understand,” Lynn whines. “He’s so boring.”

Moonbyul sips on her drink with a roll of her eyes. “You just met the guy, you don’t expect him to go all talkative and I don’t know what the you were expecting from first meeting. Plus, didn’t your mother say he was timid? Don’t frighten the boy.”

“Remember when you moved across the street from me? Remember how we went out and fooled around from the first meeting? Without all this boring bull of dry words and whatnot.”

Moonbyul actually facepalms at that. “Lynn.” She says with a tone that shows just how done she is with the other girl’s bull. “We were ing five at that time. And we already knew each other since we were in the same class in kindergarten.”

“All the same, all the same.” Lynn says nonchalantly. “Your argument is invalid.”

“You are unreasonable. I hope Wonho kicks you out or something.”

“Wonwoo.” Lynn deadpans.

Moonbyul shrugs. “tomayto, tomahto.”

“I hate you.”

“Look, am only here to tell you how it is. I am not about to sugarcoat things for you. Life is tough kid.”

“We are literally 5 months apart, don’t do this to me.”

Moonbyul flips her hair with so much sass Lynn wants to slap her. “All I care about is that I was born in a year and you were born in the next.”

“You were born in the 11th September honey. You are a tragedy.”

“Don’t try me Lynn.”

Lynn grins at that, offering some of her cookie to her friend. Who glares at her but takes a bite anyways.

 

 

 

 

 

It is the end of the last day of the summer break, and Lynn finds herself lounging in Soonyoung’s and Minghao’s dorm rather than at her apartment.

“You know that it’s prohibited for nonresidents to be here, right?” Soonyoung says, eating chips loudly, making Lynn feels tempted to go crush all of what’s left of that bag over his head.

“When did that ever stop me?” She says instead, sprawled on Minghao’s bed.

“Well I might report you and have you stop this, because I don’t appreciate you hogging and ruining my bed like that.” Minghao says from over his desk, he doesn’t look away from the screen of his computer when he says that. But Lynn knows better than to not take his threat seriously.

“But Hao, Soonyoung’s bed is littered with crumbs and stains and I am not about that life. So, the only bed left for me is yours.”

“Oh, but Lynn you forgot about your own bed. You know, the one back in your awesome apartment. The one you dreamed and chatted our ears off about.”

Lynn pouts. “But Hao-“

Minghao rolls his eyes. “Stop the whining.”

“Well if I were her and my flatmate was as interesting as a stale piece of bread. I would want to find solace somewhere else too.”

“Soonyoung?” Lynn whispers.

“Yes, honey?”

“Did I ever tell you how much I love you?” Lynn declares with a fake cry.

“I love you too Lynnie.” Soonyoung fake cries too, biting into his knuckles and all.